in nicely. I can’t see any thin spots, like you keep insisting you have. You just need a good cut. Come on.” She jumped from her seat and, when she hit her feet, slightly staggered.
“Maybe one glass too many,” she muttered, reaching out her hand. I grabbed it, and she lifted me up with one strong pull. “A few pounds more wouldn’t harm you, either,” she said. I sucked in air. I knew that, but I hadn’t regained my desire to eat. I looked at her sadly.
“Don’t worry. Your appetite will come back,” she said. “Now, follow me.” She dragged me to the bathroom and made me sit on the edge of the tub. “Close your eyes.”
I did as she asked. “Um . . . what are you doing?”
“Let me surprise you, sweetie. Trust me.” I heard her pull something from her pocket, then search through the cabinet.
“Relax,” she whispered and combed my hair. Then I heard a metallic sound and—snip!
“Kriszta!” I yelled. She was cutting my hair. “Stop it!”
She just giggled and didn’t listen. “Shh. Hold still.” She laughed.
“You can barely stand up, so why do you think you can cut my hair?”
“Well, I just can. Now hold still, sweetie,” she repeated.
Hold still, I did. She couldn’t make things much worse anyway.
“Keep your eyes shut,” she demanded. “Get up. Take a few steps forward.” She held my elbow and guided me. “Open your eyes,” she whispered.
Gingerly, I squinted into the mirror. With my right hand, I ran my fingers through my hair.
“What do you think?” Kriszta asked.
I turned to her. “It actually looks really good. I like it.”
“Told you short hair looks good on you. You just needed a serious cut.” She grinned from ear to ear.
“Thank you very much,” I said and yawned.
“You need a bed for tonight?” she asked.
I nodded.
“You can sleep in mine. That way, you can sleep in.”
“That’s very generous, but I need to get up early myself. My train leaves at seven.”
“You’re leaving already?”
“I can’t stay here, Kriszta. I’ve taken care of the thing I most wanted to do—seeing you.” We smiled at each other. “But I need to move on, find a place that won’t remind me of all the things I want to forget.”
“Where are you going?”
“Rome.”
“You’ll like it. I visited last summer.” She pushed me through the bathroom door, back into the living room, and brought me a blanket and pillow. “Bedtime, now. Let’s try to get at least two hours of sleep. I’ll drop you off at the station on my way to work.”
I smiled. “I missed you so much. I’d almost forgotten how much you can say in a single breath.”
She nudged my arm and started heading for her room, then turned around and blew me a kiss. “Good night, sweetie. I’ll see you in a bit.”
Chapter 18
Samuel—Let Coincidence Decide
Budapest, June 2012
After I lost sight of Mia, I took a seat in a small cafe located on the corner where my chase had ended. A young waiter asked me what I wanted. At least I assumed that’s what he was saying, but I could only stare at him helplessly. He repeated his question in German, and I ordered a large, strong coffee to keep me awake.
I sat there awhile, and for the first time, I thought seriously about my itinerary. I considered one particular destination, then shied away from it, still haunted by questions— What would have happened if I had visited her or just answered her calls? I would never know.
By the time I’d finished my third coffee, I’d decided to cut short my stay in Budapest by a day. I liked this city, but I wanted to make good use of my Eurail pass. I had no clue where I actually wanted to go, though. I opened up my iPad, looked at the rail map, then closed my eyes and moved the cursor until it landed on a random spot. Fate would decide. When I looked again, I saw I was headed to Rome.
I booked a seat online, then rose, paid my check, and continued my walk through the city. I wanted to visit the Great
“Maybe one glass too many,” she muttered, reaching out her hand. I grabbed it, and she lifted me up with one strong pull. “A few pounds more wouldn’t harm you, either,” she said. I sucked in air. I knew that, but I hadn’t regained my desire to eat. I looked at her sadly.
“Don’t worry. Your appetite will come back,” she said. “Now, follow me.” She dragged me to the bathroom and made me sit on the edge of the tub. “Close your eyes.”
I did as she asked. “Um . . . what are you doing?”
“Let me surprise you, sweetie. Trust me.” I heard her pull something from her pocket, then search through the cabinet.
“Relax,” she whispered and combed my hair. Then I heard a metallic sound and—snip!
“Kriszta!” I yelled. She was cutting my hair. “Stop it!”
She just giggled and didn’t listen. “Shh. Hold still.” She laughed.
“You can barely stand up, so why do you think you can cut my hair?”
“Well, I just can. Now hold still, sweetie,” she repeated.
Hold still, I did. She couldn’t make things much worse anyway.
“Keep your eyes shut,” she demanded. “Get up. Take a few steps forward.” She held my elbow and guided me. “Open your eyes,” she whispered.
Gingerly, I squinted into the mirror. With my right hand, I ran my fingers through my hair.
“What do you think?” Kriszta asked.
I turned to her. “It actually looks really good. I like it.”
“Told you short hair looks good on you. You just needed a serious cut.” She grinned from ear to ear.
“Thank you very much,” I said and yawned.
“You need a bed for tonight?” she asked.
I nodded.
“You can sleep in mine. That way, you can sleep in.”
“That’s very generous, but I need to get up early myself. My train leaves at seven.”
“You’re leaving already?”
“I can’t stay here, Kriszta. I’ve taken care of the thing I most wanted to do—seeing you.” We smiled at each other. “But I need to move on, find a place that won’t remind me of all the things I want to forget.”
“Where are you going?”
“Rome.”
“You’ll like it. I visited last summer.” She pushed me through the bathroom door, back into the living room, and brought me a blanket and pillow. “Bedtime, now. Let’s try to get at least two hours of sleep. I’ll drop you off at the station on my way to work.”
I smiled. “I missed you so much. I’d almost forgotten how much you can say in a single breath.”
She nudged my arm and started heading for her room, then turned around and blew me a kiss. “Good night, sweetie. I’ll see you in a bit.”
Chapter 18
Samuel—Let Coincidence Decide
Budapest, June 2012
After I lost sight of Mia, I took a seat in a small cafe located on the corner where my chase had ended. A young waiter asked me what I wanted. At least I assumed that’s what he was saying, but I could only stare at him helplessly. He repeated his question in German, and I ordered a large, strong coffee to keep me awake.
I sat there awhile, and for the first time, I thought seriously about my itinerary. I considered one particular destination, then shied away from it, still haunted by questions— What would have happened if I had visited her or just answered her calls? I would never know.
By the time I’d finished my third coffee, I’d decided to cut short my stay in Budapest by a day. I liked this city, but I wanted to make good use of my Eurail pass. I had no clue where I actually wanted to go, though. I opened up my iPad, looked at the rail map, then closed my eyes and moved the cursor until it landed on a random spot. Fate would decide. When I looked again, I saw I was headed to Rome.
I booked a seat online, then rose, paid my check, and continued my walk through the city. I wanted to visit the Great
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